New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-03
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
GOLDMARK'S MERLIN,

sudden popularity with composers Of late years For
this popularity Wagner is largely responsible and
Englshspeaking peoples ought to remember the fact "a
one Of the items in the account Of gratitude which thew
owe the great German dramatst and musician "Iahan
grim :" Tristan und Isolde" and Parsfal are tina
works from his pen which trace if their origin AT
least their earliest literary to British soprc.
The first does to have exered very potept in
iuence the writers OF words music: at least .
cannot recall either cantatas ballads or OPERAS with ST.
Jects which might have been suggested by Wavn.r,s
| draft On the Arthur saga. Muscally OF courss
LohengI1n LETT It's mark. though portion OF the in.
nuence whch IL exered belongs TO Wagners Immediate
model and predecessor in office. Carl Maria Won weher
the centenary Of whose birth ought not to have been
mitted to pass unnoced in New-York as 1t WAS a few
weeks ago. With Parsifal" the case Is dIferen,
Ira es OF It's musical dramatic and spectacular elemenx
can De IN abundance in the productions OF tho
last five years Whether Herr segfried LpIner tho
| author OF the book Of Goldmark's Merlin" wouId ba
willing to confess that wagner's last work afforded him
suggestions We do not know. 1t is said that Goldmark
was at work upon the score Of Merlin" during nearly
all OF the eleven years that elapsed between the compile
ton OF" The Queen of Sheba and the opera and IL
is of possible that Herr pner furnished him tina
| text before Wagners book issued in 1873.
| but it is not likely. The "Parsfal" Influence IA
too unmistakable In the Merlin drama viri,n.,
entrance while hunting deer in sacred precincts" las
PdrSdi hunts swan in the first act OF wagners drama,
the magical garden the dancers clad to resemble flow.
the transformations will strike the majority OF
those who familiar with the Bayreuth Bdhnen.
weihfestspiel" palpable contributions from that
source But be this it may Parsifal" certainly d.
rected the attention OF musical composers the
R0manccs Of the Round Table mine Of useful ma
tefial, and DOhing could have brought the fact
plainly TO notice than the simultaneous composition OF
two " Merlins one Tor the Imperial Opera at Vienna
by Goldmark and for the Court Opera Berlin by
| Ruior.
| But opera writers not the only persons who
profted by Wagners example. English musicians were
| taught by it to 20 to their early literature
| for subjects. and the "Merin" coincidence had
Its counterpart in the scheme Of the wolyerhamp-
ton Festival held last September. which, singu.
| larry enough contained two cantatas based on
stories drawn from Arthuran sources. Dr. swinnerton
Heaps Z" The Maid OF Astoat" treated the story OF
Elaine" and Mr. Frederick Corder's THE Bridal Of
Trierman whose book constructed by the composer
after Sir Walter SCOTS poem. the fable OF Gynh,
the daughter of King ArttaT, who put into magic
sleep by Nc because she would neither heed her faith
ers pleadnss nor show signs Of pity the tourney OF
! his knights which he instituted in her honor and
over which she presided her hand being the prize
conended for. The story has another bond OF
ton with the works OF Wagner in the parallel between
the long sleep aud awakening of Gyneh and BrannhLIe
Considering the wealth OF material which lies in the tales
OF King arthur and his knights Of The Round Table, il Is
somewhat remarkable that they have been oftcner
used By English composers Purcell wrote music for
Drydens drama King Arthur" in 1891 OF which
Dr. Arne retained when be made his version OF tho
piece in 1870. but this not printed until ii was
published among the works of the Musical Antiquarian
Society in 1913 T. s Cooke also the drama in tho
fourth decade the present century. aud these far
our know ledge extends make up the sum OF the lyric
which English composers have constructed ont OF
that rich body literature which they shOnd have
been glad to do honor How profitable il was TO Wagner
Though Of course he derived his direct inspiration from
the epics OF the German m,nne'ingers. who rcOh the
legends after the French poets all know who have heard
"Lohengrin" Tristan" aud "ParsifaL" PurceTs
king Arthur" described by historians and critics
| that composers masterpiece
The history OF tho musical drama shows that ia choice
of subjects OF the composers has run in grooves
Al first Influenced by the movement w1ich gave birth to
oper-the effort revive the Greek drama-the teDden
cy was almost exclusively toward classical subjects
liking for tine great characters OF ancient
history later the fashion for modern history which cnl
minated IN great pieces Of the French Grand OPERA
and lastly with wagnsr the appreciation for ieSenaTy
Of It's association with the indnbitabe though III
S s Me1 o fpS H people, Se' sS ne S and
several Knights, including the treacherous nephew
Idyl" Morgan ne ,Fec Merlin himself, who appears IN
the various characters which he assumes III the OLD
stories, seer. bard. magician and warrior,
who knew Of all their arts
Had built the King his hsyens ships aud hals
The people called him wizard
The beautiful Guineree also appears in the play. bu
u
evil principle OF the drama and Is likely 10 bring into tho
representation disturbing element In tue shape or THAI
spectacular diabosn which Is more RIDICULOUS than In
pressi,e when handled defty as Weber handled
il in Der Freisch" As for the King and his knights,
they conventional operate people who work out
side story while the real tragedy enacted 9y the D''
Vrien who is his unconscious tool. and Merlin.
letter from Berlin printed IN TINS Journal aout lou.
omc lat TO save Us the trouble repetition. few
gesons touching its nature may not be ani>s however
Briefly It a version Of the fatal charm which yren
cast upon the magician. that charm
The which II any wrought on any one
The man wrought ever seemed ~ le
Closed tho iouI walls OF \ hol oS tOver
From which Tss no no ess s FOR t syer yaT more
Nof r a SSTS he see II" Ia, ' h Who S the charm
COMING and soos amt u he sna iy ns as tea. ,m.
Thus in Tennysons WHEN" where we are also told
how Tue bewitchus tempress by dint o. lovely hypoery
sizes OF fegned amt fened hate OF siren smiles anu
connerfeed beat down the guard or the old seer
wheeded the fatal secret from him. and with woven
PAGES and with waving made him "lost to life and
Use and and fame for ever more. Herr Iipiner
took part OF the story OF Merlin. connected it with
episodes ia the history OF Arthur namely. his wars
with the heather saxons and the reachery OF AoIed,
an value which the older form OF the story has not
lie introduces the Faust Idea OF which German pGets arc
and Mens fall the fruit OF beautiful love prepares the
way apotheosis OF the "E~g weblche. and the
defeat of the devil Having wrought the ruin OF Merlin
b, the selhsness of her love- IDen achieves his saliva.
ton by sacrificing herself through love. The magical
apparatus has been greatly extended for the sake OF the
spectacular effects which II makes possible ltren, inc
the grief her fathers death. She IS
weirdy beautiful aud has wild. impetuous character
Of life she leads with her train Of maidens.
she Is mixture OF Nagners ktdfy and the my tLo!ogi-
cal Diana Unknown TO herself she Is brought by tho
Demon, while the chase INTO the OF Merlin,
who has just won q victory over the SaAons
and convicted Sir Bedirsrt OF treason TO tho hnJ.
The latter he accomplshes by his wisdom a. SEER
the former 10y means of his power rs magcsp ne nav
ing compelled tho Demon % ngit Tor the Cross Dy en-
shToudng the heather with darkness and bewilderng
them with treacherous wilothewisps. The Demon 10
an un willing slave and for OF revenge goes TO
Norgain NE Fee. the mother Of NertD from whose
utterances he learns that Merius power viii como
when he yields To love OF woman and that the
OF this will be the silence OF his harp Tho
Demon directs VtUoHs la Merton They become ell
anoured Merlin struggles against tho pas
sion untl he unds that yoien has penetrated into his
temple and taken FROM IL magic veil, which when she
casts II into the remains suspended and works in
cantation which the spectators enjoy ballet Merlin